Olympics Guide

China, one of the world's emerging superpowers, recently increased her exposure in the world stage as she hosted the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The Olympics is a quadrennial event which is participated by about 120 countries, with players engaging themselves in various sports, from track-and-field to javelin throwing, from basketball to soccer, from swimming to diving, you name it.

Beijing did not waste time in finding the venues after being chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. The city and the national government worked hand-in-hand to gather the best team of engineers, architects and landscape designers to jumpstart this most important project because they knew that big investments will be pouring in. In addition to this, more Beijing hotels were built in anticipation of the visitor surge during the games.

The government planned to use a site wide enough to put the various stadiums and complexes in one place. This would increase productivity of the players while reducing travel time from one venue to another. Located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing, the planners named the area the Olympic Green, where thirty-one sporting venues can be seen.

Most of the hotels in Beijing are accessible from the Olympic Green because they are located near the city's cultural and business districts. A number of important sporting venues are located within the Green. The most notable of these is the Beijing National Stadium. Inspired by the beauty and intricacy of Chinese ceramics, the designers were finally able to construct it. Known as the 'Bird's Nest,' it was the venue for the football and athletics finals as well as in the opening and closing ceremonies where 91,000 people attended.

The Beijing National Aquatics Center, better known as the 'Water Cube,' is another unique structure. Its design is based on soap bubbles, which are air-filled pockets of translucent plastic. The building illuminates with colors which change from time to time at night. This was the place where swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions were held.

The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, nicknamed 'The Fan' due to its design resembling a traditional Chinese holding fan, hosted Artistic Gymnastics, Tramp lining and Handball events. Also within the Green is the Convention Center, a 270,000 square-meter structure which was used for Fencing and the Modern Pentathlon. It was also the International Broadcast Center where the press covered the entire games.

The Beijing Olympic Village was the temporary residence of the athletes. Made up of twenty-two six-storey buildings and twenty nine-storey buildings, it resembles some of the hotels in Beijing.

During this time, Beijing hotels were at sky-high, having good occupancy rates continuing for months. The city and the country were the stars of the show. Indeed, the 2008 Summer Olympics was a coming-out-party for China and its people. For a nation once dubbed the Sleeping Dragon, she has now finally awakened! - 30417

The clock is clicking down to the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Canada has been buzzing about these games for the past few years and now Vancouver is the final rush to make sure everything is ready as they prepare to welcome the world. Vancouver was awarded these games over 5 years ago and has been making preparations ever since. This will be the second time Canada has played host to this spectacular event.

The Winter Olympics are an international multi-sport event held every four years. They feature sports held on ice or snow. Events including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been at every Winter Olympic Games since their inception. Other events such as luge, short track speed skating, bobsled, and freestyle skiing have been added over the years.

The Vancouver Olympic Games will be held in the City of Vancouver as well as a number of different places around Vancouver. Vancouver is located on the Pacific Ocean in the lower mainland portion of the province of British Columbia. The other British Columbia towns and villages that will assist in hosting the Winter Games are Richmond, Whistler, and West Vancouver.

The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France in 1924. Prior to the first proper Winter Olympics, figure skating and ice hockey had included as events in the Summer Olympics. The Games have been held every four years since then with an interruption from 1940-48 due to the Second World War. In 1992, the Winter Games split from the Summer Games schedule in an attempt to attract more advertising money. The next Winter Games on this schedule were the Lillehammer Games in 1992.

The Winter Olympics are considerably smaller than the Summer Olympics. There are much fewer events in the Winter Games and there is a full week less of competition. There are also fewer countries participating. Fewer countries participating make sense as all of the completions take place on either ice or snow and there are many countries that naturally have neither of these surfaces. With that said there are a number of typically tropical countries that do participate. The most famous of these tropical competitors is the Jamaican bobsled team.

In a matter of months, the world will turn its attention to the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Olympic Games are one of the most watch athletic events in the world. The world will hold its collective breath as we watch bobsledders and skiers defy bone crushing speeds and while figure skaters bring beauty to the ice. The world will be watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. - 30417

When hearing the word "Mascot", the majority of people think about sports and a silly giant chicken walking around. The person donning the Mascot Costume is seen during the game, but most of us don't think about what is involved in the design a comfortable mascot costume.

Mascots are so commonplace that they have their own fan base. These fans cheer them on when they enter the stage or field. Even the teams are associated with the mascot.

Most mascots are there for entertainment. They may come out before the game, during a break or to entertain the crowd. There are those who go to the events just for the mascot. If the game isn't going to good for the team, mascots are able to rally the fans and create a fun atmosphere. Their behavior is so outrageous sometimes that the fans remember them more than they do plays of the game.

Mascot costumes are heavy and not well ventilated. While the person inside seems to move around easily, when the costume is made, the person who is going to wear it has to be taken into consideration.

Teams with larger budgets often spend more money on the costumes to have them made out of a light weight material so the person inside can breathe easier. The construction of the costume will also affect how easily the person is able to move around and how long it can be worn. The person who becomes a mascot must possess strength, and agility to be able to perform the job.

When designing a mascot costume, the climate conditions should be considered. The costume should allow for the adding or removing of material according to the weather to keep the mascot warm or cool.

Fiberglass is often used to build the head because it is light weight. Also take into account the persons need to be able to see.

The body can be made out of a variety of materials; like cotton, polyester or denim. Battery operated fans can be added to the construction of the suit to cool the person inside.

Make sure to reach an agreement for the construction of the costume that includes the material and the design. Make sure that it is guaranteed to be an original. You want your team or school's mascot costume to be unique. Be sure to include that the team or school will own all the rights to the design. The colors should coincide with the team or school colors to make the mascot more identifiable.

The supplies that you are going to need, if you are building the costume yourself are the same that you are going to use for any sewing project. Take into consideration that the costume has to be large enough to let air flow around the person wearing it; use polyester fill to give the costume a larger than life appearance; to make it easier to get in and out of the costume, use Velcro. The head of the costume can be made from fiberglass and cardboard for the head.

Hydration is important to those who are mascots. Several people may be needed according to the size of the event. All mascots need a guide to help them. A break should be taken every 40 minutes as well. - 30417

About the Author:

Many businesses use mascots to attract their audience. It is important to design a comfortable mascot costume, so employees will feel motivated to interact with the target group. By using custom mascots, it can be designed in such a way that it allows more ventilation.

When you hear the word "mascot", most of us think about a sporting event and that funny big chicken walking around looking silly. A person wearing a mascot costume is seen in most stadiums during a game, but few of us have thought about what goes into designing and making that costume. How do you design comfortable custom mascots?

Mascots have become so common, they even have a following. Mascots have fans that wait for them to come on the field or stage and cheer when they appear. Many teams and schools are identified by their mascot. When you see a particular mascot dressed in his distinctive costume, you think of the team or school he represents.

Many mascots are for entertainment value. They can appear before the game or during a break, like halftime, to entertain the audience. Many people will attend a game or event just to see what the mascot will be doing that day. When a game seems to be going slowly or dragging, the mascot can appear making everyone attending happy and having fun again. They are funny and fans remember their antics long after the event.

The mascot is usually silly and seems to be moving around with ease; but he or she can be wearing a heavy costume that, sometimes, may have little ventilation. Most of us forget that there is a person inside the costume. The person wearing the costume must be taken into consideration when the mascot's outfit is constructed.

Professional team's budgets allow them to spend more on their mascot's costume so many of them may be wearing a costume that is made with lighter material and the person is able to breathe. The way the mascot costume is made has a lot to do with how easily the person moves around and how long the person can wear the costume. When a team or organization is planning to employee someone to wear the mascot costume, agility and strength of the person wearing the costume is a prerequisite for the job.

There are some concerns before constructing a new costume. The climate where the costume will be worn should be taken into consideration. If the weather is warm, lighter material should be used. If the weather is warm and turns cold, the costume will need to have ways to remove or add material to keep the person inside warm or cool.

Fiberglass can be used to construct the head because it is light. Visibility from inside the head will be important to the design. If the person wearing the costume has to move around, he will need good visibility for safety.

The body of the suit can be sewn with various materials, such as polyester, cotton, or denim. A small battery operated fan is often built into the body of the suit to keep the person wearing the custom cool during warmer months. If the body of the suit is constructed loosely, the person will get less warm.

If you are having someone off site design the mascot costume, agree on a cost that includes design and material. When you find someone to design it, get a guarantee that it will be an original. You will want your organization to have a mascot costume that is unique to your organization. When the costume is finished, you will want to own all rights to the design. Ask the designer, or person constructing the costume, to incorporate the colors of your organization in the fabric of the costume. The colors on the costume will be as identifiable as the mascot itself.

Materials you will need, if you are planning to design and construct the costume yourself, are the same as you would use for any sewing project. Other considerations will be to construct the suit large enough for air to pass around the person wearing the suit; polyester fill to make the costume look larger than life; Velcro for ease in getting in and out of the costume; and cardboard or fiberglass for the head.

Most mascot costumes can only be worn for a maximum of 40 minutes at a time. The person inside the suit should be hydrated before putting it on. Mascots should be accompanied with another person as a guide or handler. More than one person may be needed, depending on the size the crowd and the event. - 30417

About the Author:

Many businesses use mascots to attract their audience. It is important to design a comfortable mascot costume, so employees will feel motivated to interact with the target group. By using custom mascots, it can be designed in such a way that it allows more ventilation.